Blazing Lizard Announces Downloadable Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball

Upstart studio Blazing Lizard, formed by former members of Volition's Saint's Row team, has announced its forthcoming debut game with Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, expected in the first quarter of 2008 for yet-unspecified console download services.

The new Savoy, IL studio, first announced last week, calls Dodgeball the first in an expected series of Pirates vs. Ninjas games, with pirates and ninjas only the first 2 of 5 teams to be revealed.

Blazing Lizard says that games of Dodgeball, playable for up to 8 players, aren't restricted to two halves of a court, and will instead by allowed to roam freely around 6 arenas. Characters, says the studio, will be "equipped with combat moves and special abilities to deliver a more action-packed experience than could ever be found on the playground."

The developer also notes that the game is being developed using its proprietary next-gen engine Infyrno, and will include exhibition, story, and challenge modes for up to 8 players online, as well as 4-player co-op modes.

Precisely which download services Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball will be coming to has not yet been revealed, with officials only saying it intends to create "console downloadable games for all platforms," adding that the game will "redefine consumer expectations" of downloadables when it is released in the first quarter of 2008.

Said studio director and former Saints Row lead designer Chris Stockman, “What more needs to be said when it comes to Pirates vs. Ninjas. This is the ultimate in rivalries, and we aim to have them settle it with all out balls to the wall action.”